I would point out that this appears to be more of a logistical support failure, rather than an international incident. Karl has been walking for quite a few years now, and has encountered this difficulty in the past, at least in Panama. I would think that there certainly has not been a time issue here. There have literally been years to make arrangements and preparations for this moment, and somone really dropped the ball. That being said, I wish Karl all the best and am looking forward to reading Giant Steps. Good luck and hope to hear that you are moving again soon.
I can totally understand how the support team would be unable to acquire required permits to enter Russia at this area (which I think is heavily militarised and sensitive due to the proximity of the USA!).
I just hope the Russian admin people will make an exception for such a unique expedition.
In response to Neil, above, the US-Russian frontier is totally demilitarized. There are no troops on the American side and probably none, other than border patrol, on the Russian. It is not regarded as a sensitive area by either side. The Russian, however, are strict about controlling their borders.
I’ll check in here every six months for a progress report…
In response to James Mason… I bicycled from Florida to Wales, Alaska in 1999. I was surprised how little human presence surrounds the Bering Strait, but there was an active military base just a few miles from Wales (in Tin City), with military vehicles, soldiers, etc. And White Alice, the Bubble (radar sites of some sort). Is this military base no longer there?
Unless you have been to W. Alaska, folks have no idea what an amazing feet Karl has accomplished. If he walks no more, he still has done one of the most astonishing physical feats in history.
Tin City is still a radar site, but has three civilians running it. That’s what happened to all the White Alice sites. I’ve got a 75-foot dish in my back yard. One part-time guy runs it. Just out of curiousity, how did you ride a bike to Wales?
To James Mason… One can ride a bicycle to Wales the same way Karl walked there. On the frozen rivers, etc. (You do WALK the bike most of the time on the ice and snow.) I differed from Karl: I first went and bicycled all the ROADS in summer. (Flying from section to section: Nome roads, Wales road, etc.)
I was surprised Karl took to the rivers at Fairbanks… rather than walk the road to Manley Hot Springs and Tofty and start on the frozen river at that point. Summer travel is SO much easier.
No more soldiers around Tin City? And how are Dan and Ellen Richard, the wonderful visitor hosts of Wales?
I wonder if a letter writing campaign (and a more attention getting publicity capmapign too) from a world based fans to the Russian authorities could sway the decision to let Karl continue on his journey. Or is that too polyannaish?
In 1999, I planned to cross the Bering Strait over the ice, like Karl. I contacted numerous Russian agencies seeking permission. I spent a LONG time on the phone.
Some thought it was a joke. A prank phone call.
Some I talked to…did not realize (as many Americans) that Russia and USA are close enough….that one might possibly cross on the ice.
Others understood the concept, but had no idea how to deal with it. There is no department of Bering Strait crossing. And no one wanted to open up this discussion with their higher-ups.
Others had the view: I’ll believe it when I see it. They did not want to deal with the issue that might come up…when the odds of my making it across the Strait were so slim. (A very valid view.)
Sure hope there is a quick resolution to this so that he can get back underway. Surely a few bottles of Stoly and a couple benjamins might get this moving. Always worked with the russians in berlin.
“Well done!” hardly sums up how I feel. This has been an astonishing and absolutely heroic achievement. I have been following your progress since the Nevada desert on an almost daliy basis and am lost with admiration. I still reckon completing the South West coastal path this summer will be something!!
I hope the Russians let you continue asap and that you finish the walk. Good luck.
I think they’ll make it. Hopefully someone on their case will remember Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman when they crossed from the other direction on motorcycles.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about see “Long Way Round”.
Did Dimitri lose a significant part of his finger (to frostbite)? Press reports differ on this. One said it was just the tip. Another said it was more severe than that.
Also, the Alaska route entailed walking on some 500 miles of frozen rivers (where no roads existed). How much of the Siberia route is over frozen rivers (and other frozen water) that can only be done in winter?
Paul Smith, lot of it. From where they are to the city of Magadan. It must be on all maps, it’s a Pacific port to the east from Kamchatka penesula. I don’t know exact figures, but I guess it’s at least twice longer than from Cape of Wales to Fairbanks. But in summer one might sail the rivers, or hike along them.. Don’t forget, they are going on foot, not driving.
Had Russia taken Karl and the Goliath Expedition seriously (as they did the Ice Challenger and other expeditions), they would have denied Karl permission to cross the Bering Strait. They would have said (as they said to others): “If you cross, we will have military choppers ready to arrest you on the spot.”
Trying to get them to change their minds would have taken years.
If Karl had crossed anyway, despite this lack of permission, he would have been in much deeper trouble than he is now.
“It is easier to get forgiveness than permission” — this is an old and very true saying.
I know they didn’t cross the Bering, they crossed the continent from the other direction. Hopefully someone will remember that and let them continue.
With all the attention this is getting, has anyone considered a letter writing campaign to the russian government. Here’s a link to an english send a letter to Putin page that goes to the presidential directorate. http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/send_letter_Eng1a.shtml. maybe if enough people raise a stink…..
GOOD LUCK, RUSSIAS BEARACRACY MOVES ABOUT AS FAST AS A GLACIER
good luck in Russia, been reading about your trip and think it’s fantastic. I have been to Russia before and it is huge. Keep on truckin !!
Here’s hoping for a quick resolution. May luck be on your side.
Best wishes and hope you get to carry on very soon! What you’re doing is wonderful.
I would point out that this appears to be more of a logistical support failure, rather than an international incident. Karl has been walking for quite a few years now, and has encountered this difficulty in the past, at least in Panama. I would think that there certainly has not been a time issue here. There have literally been years to make arrangements and preparations for this moment, and somone really dropped the ball. That being said, I wish Karl all the best and am looking forward to reading Giant Steps. Good luck and hope to hear that you are moving again soon.
did he carry an unregistered handgun into panama?
Good luck with resolving the entry ‘issues’.
I can totally understand how the support team would be unable to acquire required permits to enter Russia at this area (which I think is heavily militarised and sensitive due to the proximity of the USA!).
I just hope the Russian admin people will make an exception for such a unique expedition.
Best wishes to Karl with the rest of the walk.
In response to Neil, above, the US-Russian frontier is totally demilitarized. There are no troops on the American side and probably none, other than border patrol, on the Russian. It is not regarded as a sensitive area by either side. The Russian, however, are strict about controlling their borders.
I’ll check in here every six months for a progress report…
Miss you Karl, haven’t been able to email you lately, but we love you, and hope you’re getting lots of vodka.
In response to James Mason… I bicycled from Florida to Wales, Alaska in 1999. I was surprised how little human presence surrounds the Bering Strait, but there was an active military base just a few miles from Wales (in Tin City), with military vehicles, soldiers, etc. And White Alice, the Bubble (radar sites of some sort). Is this military base no longer there?
Unless you have been to W. Alaska, folks have no idea what an amazing feet Karl has accomplished. If he walks no more, he still has done one of the most astonishing physical feats in history.
Tin City is still a radar site, but has three civilians running it. That’s what happened to all the White Alice sites. I’ve got a 75-foot dish in my back yard. One part-time guy runs it. Just out of curiousity, how did you ride a bike to Wales?
Congratulations. =)
We’re in St. Petersburg, Russia isn’t big, it isn’t huge. =) It’s enormous. =) Good luck!!! =)
Come visit us. +)
To James Mason… One can ride a bicycle to Wales the same way Karl walked there. On the frozen rivers, etc. (You do WALK the bike most of the time on the ice and snow.) I differed from Karl: I first went and bicycled all the ROADS in summer. (Flying from section to section: Nome roads, Wales road, etc.)
I was surprised Karl took to the rivers at Fairbanks… rather than walk the road to Manley Hot Springs and Tofty and start on the frozen river at that point. Summer travel is SO much easier.
No more soldiers around Tin City? And how are Dan and Ellen Richard, the wonderful visitor hosts of Wales?
I wonder if a letter writing campaign (and a more attention getting publicity capmapign too) from a world based fans to the Russian authorities could sway the decision to let Karl continue on his journey. Or is that too polyannaish?
I only learned of the goliath adventure recently and think its so fantastic. wish you all the best and hope you get moving soon. Stay safe
In 1999, I planned to cross the Bering Strait over the ice, like Karl. I contacted numerous Russian agencies seeking permission. I spent a LONG time on the phone.
Some thought it was a joke. A prank phone call.
Some I talked to…did not realize (as many Americans) that Russia and USA are close enough….that one might possibly cross on the ice.
Others understood the concept, but had no idea how to deal with it. There is no department of Bering Strait crossing. And no one wanted to open up this discussion with their higher-ups.
Others had the view: I’ll believe it when I see it. They did not want to deal with the issue that might come up…when the odds of my making it across the Strait were so slim. (A very valid view.)
One man said, “Look both ways before crossing the
Strait.”
Sure hope there is a quick resolution to this so that he can get back underway. Surely a few bottles of Stoly and a couple benjamins might get this moving. Always worked with the russians in berlin.
Raider
“Well done!” hardly sums up how I feel. This has been an astonishing and absolutely heroic achievement. I have been following your progress since the Nevada desert on an almost daliy basis and am lost with admiration. I still reckon completing the South West coastal path this summer will be something!!
I hope the Russians let you continue asap and that you finish the walk. Good luck.
I think they’ll make it. Hopefully someone on their case will remember Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman when they crossed from the other direction on motorcycles.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about see “Long Way Round”.
Congratultations, Karl!
I’ve hope your troubles with our border guards will away, and you’ll reach your target!
Russia is the great place to travel, but there is not a road from Chukotka to Far East in summer, only some winter roads…
As I know, in 1992, when Russian hitch-hikers were travelled around the world, the Bering Straight was a difficult fragment also.
McGregor and Boorman did not cross the Bering Straits on motorcycles. They air freighted their bikes from Magadan to Anchorage….
Did Dimitri lose a significant part of his finger (to frostbite)? Press reports differ on this. One said it was just the tip. Another said it was more severe than that.
Also, the Alaska route entailed walking on some 500 miles of frozen rivers (where no roads existed). How much of the Siberia route is over frozen rivers (and other frozen water) that can only be done in winter?
Paul Smith, lot of it. From where they are to the city of Magadan. It must be on all maps, it’s a Pacific port to the east from Kamchatka penesula. I don’t know exact figures, but I guess it’s at least twice longer than from Cape of Wales to Fairbanks. But in summer one might sail the rivers, or hike along them.. Don’t forget, they are going on foot, not driving.
to the west of Kamchatka, I mean
F%ck! To the west FROM, I mean
Had Russia taken Karl and the Goliath Expedition seriously (as they did the Ice Challenger and other expeditions), they would have denied Karl permission to cross the Bering Strait. They would have said (as they said to others): “If you cross, we will have military choppers ready to arrest you on the spot.”
Trying to get them to change their minds would have taken years.
If Karl had crossed anyway, despite this lack of permission, he would have been in much deeper trouble than he is now.
“It is easier to get forgiveness than permission” — this is an old and very true saying.
So Karl has been very lucky in every way.
I know they didn’t cross the Bering, they crossed the continent from the other direction. Hopefully someone will remember that and let them continue.
CB
With all the attention this is getting, has anyone considered a letter writing campaign to the russian government. Here’s a link to an english send a letter to Putin page that goes to the presidential directorate. http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/send_letter_Eng1a.shtml. maybe if enough people raise a stink…..